Financial Statements	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Financial Statements [Abstract]
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all estimates and adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. However, actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015. Amounts included in the balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 were derived from our audited balance sheet. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, references to “Foster,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer collectively to L.B. Foster Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. Recently issued accounting standards In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 605, “Revenue Recognition.” ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating its implementation approach and assessing the impact of ASU 2014-09 on our financial position and results of operations. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330).” The pronouncement was issued to simplify the measurement of inventory and changes the measurement from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. This pronouncement is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16 "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments" ("ASU 2015-16"). ASU 2015-16 requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Prior to the issuance of the standard, entities were required to retrospectively apply adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015, and early adoption is permitted. Accordingly, the standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The update is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations. Reclassifications Certain amounts in previously issued financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications separately presented sales of services and cost of services sold to reflect the Company’s increased service offerings attributable to the recent acquisitions disclosed in Note 3.

1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all estimates and adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. However, actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015. Amounts included in the balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 were derived from our audited balance sheet. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, references to “Foster,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer collectively to L.B. Foster Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Recently issued accounting standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 605, “Revenue Recognition.” ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating its implementation approach and assessing the impact of ASU 2014-09 on our financial position and results of operations.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330).” The pronouncement was issued to simplify the measurement of inventory and changes the measurement from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. This pronouncement is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16 "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments" ("ASU 2015-16"). ASU 2015-16 requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. Prior to the issuance of the standard, entities were required to retrospectively apply adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015, and early adoption is permitted. Accordingly, the standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2016. The update is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in previously issued financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications separately presented sales of services and cost of services sold to reflect the Company’s increased service offerings attributable to the recent acquisitions disclosed in Note 3.